Dray
Created many centuries ago by the sorcerer-king of Giustenal to serve as a race of mage-warriors, dragonborn – or dray, as they call themselves – are a strong, resilient race of dragonlike humanoids. Most dray were cast out of their home by their creator long ago, and a handful of dragonborn survived when their home state was destroyed. From those ancient refugees arose a race of mercenaries, sorcerers, and slave traders known for their calculating (and sometimes duplicitous) ways. The dray are not a numerous people. They live in tight-knit clans that often share a secret citadel or tower in the wastes. Clan members roam far from their mysterious retreats, looking after the group’s interests. Some dragonborn clans take part in the slave trade, hiring raiders or mercenaries of other races to serve as their slave catchers. Dragonborn who object to trafficking in slaves often earn a living as deal brokers, moneylenders, or speculators. They are also renowned as sorcerers for hire. Dragonborn clans strike deals with the sorcerer-kings of various city-states, paying richly for licenses or dispensations to practice arcane magic in those locations. Nobles, wealthy merchants, and templars have need of a sorcerer clan’s services and pay very well for them. Dray live by a brutally pragmatic philosophy rooted in their exile from their home state. They tend to be avaricious, sly, and amoral, although they carefully observe the exact wording of any deal or bargain they strike, since it’s good business to have a reputation for living up to agreements. The dray learned long ago that they can rely only upon one another, and they are fiercely loyal to their clan brothers and sisters. A clan gathers from far and wide to avenge an insult or an injury to one of its own, and the group won’t rest until the vendetta is settled. Every clan likely has business dealings—some legitimate, and some less so in several city-states. Not all dragonborn are slavers and defilers, but most people you meet assume otherwise. The dray entrusted by their clan to conduct business outside the Citadel usually fall into one of two categories. Clanblades serve as the clan's talons, though not always openly. Mercenary work and slavery are the most common endeavors as they provide a plausible cover for smuggling, counter intelligence, and wetwork. Clanblades learn terja kynsi - the art of the blade & claw - from a master of the previous generation. Such masters usually gather no more than five such apprentices to travel with them, whittling out those unfit to serve the clan discretely abroad. Few outside of dragonborn society even know the Clanblades exist, a secret the Clanblades will sacrifice anything and anyone to protect. Spellscales inherit the clan's arcane traditions. Usually this is Defilement as the clans cannot afford to risk their futures on the delayed results of Preserver magic. Knowing full well what the world at large thinks of such things, Spellscales advertise their abilities anyway. If a Sorcerer-King is unwilling to apprentice an ambitious dray then special dispensations may be bought from the Templars to practice magic openly. Secrets of their clan's particular tradition though are closely guarded. Spell books are often hidden in secret compartments and written in personal code. Actual arcane research is usually reserved for the Citadel itself. The purpose of the Spellscales is to help the clan increase its power both to defend against magic but also to strike at their enemies. In the meantime, most people know where they can hire a Spellscale's services within the city, and the Spellscales know which alleys to avoid. Racial Bonuses * Draconic Breath Weapon: Dragonborn begin with the edge Arcane Background (Super Powers) and take the Burst power. Trappings for this power are always Molten Sand. * Draconic Hide: +4 bonus to resist damage and effects stemming from Negative Energy * Low Light Vision: Dragonborn eyes amplify light like a cat’s, allowing them to see in the dark. Dragonborn ignore attack penalties for Dim and Dark lighting. *Nature's Wrath: Druids know full well what the Spellscales are doing and will oppose any Defilement near their territory. Dray just accept they suffer -4 on their Charisma rolls with Druids and never, ever risk letting a Druid find their clan's Citadel.